Outdoor Workers at Risk as Temperatures Climb, July 1

Landscaping, construction, and agriculture are some of the outdoor jobs that can expose workers to dangerous high heat. Labor-intensive activities in hot weather can raise body temperatures beyond the level that normally can be cooled by sweating and may lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke.  Oregon OSHA, a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, encourages employers and workers to learn the signs of heat illness and take precautions. A person overcome with heat exhaustion will still sweat but may experience extreme fatigue, nausea, lightheadedness, or a headache. The person could have clammy and moist skin, a pale complexion, and a normal or only slightly elevated body temperature. If heat exhaustion is not treated promptly, the illness could progress to heat stroke, and possibly even death.  “Water, rest, and shade are the three things to remember,” said Penny Wolf-McCormick, health enforcement manager for Oregon OSHA. “Employers should ensure workers are taking water breaks throughout the day and provide shade to give their body time to recover.”  From 2009 through 2013, 33 people received benefits through Oregon’s workers’ compensation system for heat-related illnesses. The majority of claims each year occur during July.